More Than Numbers
by Grey Darklight
Summary: Only Fives knows the truth about Order 66 and Palpatine. Instead of going to Rex and Anakin with the information, he goes to the only other individual he can trust: Ahsoka Tano. Together, with the help of Obi-wan, Ventress, space pirates, and bounty hunters they work to expose Palpatine, changing the course of Galactic history. But will they succeed, or die trying? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys so this fic is based on the clone trooper Fives. If you haven't watched the season six episodes centering around him, I highly suggest you look him up on wookiepedia before starting the story, or you might get confused. This is my first clone wars fic, I hope you enjoy!**

Fives pulled the cloak tighter around him. He had acquired it in some dingy convenience store to hide his identity. After all, the entire Republic was looking for him.

He mulled over his plan in his head. Originally, Fives had wanted to contact General Skywalker and Rex when he had found out the truth about Order 66 and Palpatine. However, he had quickly remembered all the times Skywalker had spoken with reverence and respect towards the Chancellor. No, Skywalker wouldn't believe him, and the 501st was too loyal to the Republic.

There was only one person that Fives knew that might be able to help him. He ducked into a seedy bar, located in the Coruscant Underground. Scanning the room, Fives immediately spotted the familiar white and blue striped lekku he had been looking for.

"Ahsoka! You came," Fives sighed in relief. He had been afraid that the ex-Jedi would think him as crazy as everyone else. "Fives? What is it? You look sick... and why is there a bounty on your head?" Ahsoka hissed. "You don't look so great either, Commander," Fives joked lightly, but the mood immediately became somber.

Ahsoka certainly looked a little worse for wear, but that wasn't surprising, considering that she was no longer a member of the Order, and not that many people were willing to hire a teenager for work. However, that had nothing to do with the matter at hand.

"Ahsoka, listen to me. There's a plot, and the Chancellor's in on it! It has to do with these chips in our heads... Ahsoka, they're going to make us kill the Jedi! It's a conspiracy!" Fives blurted out, words slipping out of his mouth. He couldn't think clearly, all he knew was that he had to get the information to Ahsoka. The floor spun underneath him, and he vaguely heard Ahsoka let out a small cry before he slips out of his seat, falling to the floor unconscious.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chancellor Palpatine scowled at the latest report from the clones. The rogue arc trooper had not yet been found. He had to be terminated immediately... he knew too much. Palpatine couldn't just activate the order now because not enough generals were in the field yet; most of them were back on Coruscant, and their clone forces were being directed to capture Fives.

More importantly, Anakin wasn't even close to the dark side yet. Activating the order now meant losing him as an apprentice, and that was a risk Palpatine was unwilling to take, especially considering how much time Palpatine had spent molding the boy to be the perfect Sith.

No, this clone would be captured and killed, along with any accomplices. He was going to _rule_ this galaxy, and no one was going to stand in his way, especially not some lowly clone.

Elsewhere, a clone captain looked out the window of a shuttle transport. The 501st was now searching the Works district on Coruscant, trying to look for a clue to Fives' whereabouts. Rex frowned at the thought. Fives was a good man, and his brother. What could've possibly compelled him to commit treason? Either way, Rex was willing to give his brother the benefit of the doubt.

He had spent years in the battlefield, and Rex had developed a sixth sense for these kind of situations. Something just wasn't right here.

"Come on, Fives. Where are you?"

* * *

Fives groaned, getting up from the bed. He looked around, and found himself in some small room, on a bed crammed in the corner. "Fives! You're alright! Force, you scared me to death back there," Ahsoka murmured, sitting next to the clone.

"This is where you're staying?" Fives asked, slightly angered on her behalf. Ahsoka didn't deserve this; she didn't deserve to be betrayed by her friends and the Order for a crime she hadn't committed. Of course, everyone had realized that, but by that point it was too late.

"How are you feeling?" Ahsoka asked, concerned about her friend. "You were muttering some nonsense about the Chancellor being evil before collapsing. I think someone drugged you, I ran a data scan and found some excessive traces of chlorofom in your blood."

"I'm fine, Commander- I mean Ahsoka. And I bet a thousand credits that minister Su drugged me, to make me look like a crazy man. It's not just nonsense, although it probably sounds that way. Ahsoka, the Chancellor is not a good man."

"I can believe that, Fives. The man was all too happy to deliver my death sentence the day of the trial, and that's not something I'm going to forget easily. But a conspiracy to kill the Jedi? Don't you think that's a little much?"

Ahsoka studied the clone in front of her. He didn't seem like he was lying... but Ahsoka had learned the hard way that people weren't always what they seemed.

"No, Ahsoka. Listen, I have all the information with a droid of mine, AZ-3. If we can get back to him on Kamino, I could show you evidence that there's a plot against the Jedi! Ahsoka, please, you have to believe me. I don't have anyone else I can trust, and you know, maybe more than anyone, that you can't trust anyone in this war."

Ahsoka's heart stung at the reminder of her friend's betrayal. Bariss had seemed like such a nice friend, but she had no qualms about sending Ahsoka to pay for her crimes. "Alright, I'm listening," she said warily.

"Okay, so you remember my friend, Tup? It all started with him. He killed another Jedi, General Tiplar, and no one knew why. He died a few days later, but me and this droid found a chip in his body, and apparently it malfunctioned or something, causing an order, Order 66, to activate. After we did a little research, it turns out the inhibitor chips can make all the clones do anything someone wants. I tried to present my findings to the Chancellor, convinced that Lama Su was behind it... but Ahsoka, this is bigger than I could've possible imagined. When I met the Chancellor, _he tried to kill me with a red lightsaber_. I know it sounds crazy, but it happened, I swear! I mean, think about it. Who has the most to gain from this war in the first place? The Chancellor! His influence and power increases every day this war goes on."

"Fives, did you say he had a red lightsaber?" Ahsoka questioned, shocked. Red lightsabers... Sith Lords... no. It was just a myth. Fives was mistaken, he had to be. Because if what he said was true, and if Palpatine was the Sith Lord, then they were all doomed.

"Ahsoka, please. I know you don't believe me. Just help me get the information, and then I can show you. Please, just give me a chance."

"Okay, Fives. I wish someone had given me a chance when I went through my trial, so I'll give you one. Let's find this information, and we'll see if you're telling the truth. I have a friend, Lux Bonteri, who could get us a ship to Kamino to get to that droid you were talking about. Let's find out the truth, once and for all."

 **Hey everybody, this is my first Clone Wars fanfic, and I'm kind of just testing the waters here. If people like it, I'll continue the fic. That being said, reviews are very helpful! I encourage all of you to review so I know if people are interested in seeing this story. Also, if I continue, Rex, Anakin, and Obi-wan will all be playing bigger parts from now on, as will Ahsoka.**


	2. Chapter 2

It had started out like any other day.

Lux woke up, got dressed, drank coffee, and then discussed Onderon's place within the Republic with King Dendup in the senatorial apartments in the 500 Republica. He had gone out to the market for a quick stroll in the afternoon when a familiar-looking Togruta in a maroon shirt and black leather pants caught his eye.

"Ahsoka?" He paused in shock before walking up to his friend and hugging her, barely noticing the clone with a suspicious gaze standing next to her. "Ahsoka! It's so nice to see you! What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, Lux. I need your help."

Lux took a step back, frowning, studying the bags under Ahsoka's eyes and noting the fact that she looked worse for wear.

Something had happened.

"Ahsoka, are you alright? Come back to the palace with me, you look like you could use someone to talk to..."

"No, Lux, I can't do that. It's hard to explain everything right now, and I promise I will explain one day, but for now, I just need you to trust me. Can you get me a ship?" Lux's face softened at Ahsoka's pleading and he nodded.

"Of course."

* * *

Ahsoka thanked Lux one last time for giving her the ship before saying her goodbyes and boarding the spacecraft.

"Is he a good friend of yours? Can we trust him?" Fives asked once she took off. "Lux is the closest thing I have to a friend since I was expelled from the Jedi Order. I'd trust him with my life," Ahsoka answered, and Fives couldn't help but notice that she sounded a bit defensive.

 _Interesting_...

"Okay, I get it. It seems like you two are pretty _close_."

"Shut up Fives." Ahsoka flushed slightly, and Fives couldn't help but laugh.

"All right, so I'm guessing we're on our way to Kamino now?"

"Nope." Ahsoka replied, fiddling with her thumbs. Fives raised his eyebrows in confusion. "No? Why not? We need to get to AZ-3, Ahsoka, he's the only one that can back up our story!"

"Fives! Calm down! We can't just barge into Kamino and steal that droid; we'd be identified in an instant and jailed. Considering that you're still a convict on the run, the first thing we need to do is get you in civilian clothes and a hat, or something to hide your face. Afterwards, we need to sit down and come up with a plan for infiltrating Kamino, not just run in blind. We can't just do this by ourselves either; we need help, and I know someone who isn't exactly fond of Palpatine."

Fives sighed, muttering his apologies before changing into fresh clothes. "So where are we going, then?"

"To the one person I know that might actually believe us."

* * *

"Rex? Any leads on Fives?"

"No, General Skywalker. There isn't a trace of him, it's like he disappeared off of Coruscant entirely. Either that, or someone is sheltering him."

"Who would help him? He's a clone, and he doesn't exactly no anyone on Coruscant." Anakin banged his fist against the table in frustration. "The Chancellor is getting more anxious by the day, Rex, and he's my friend. I care about Fives, but I will protect Palpatine from him and put him down if I have to."

Rex flinched at the general's words.

Put him down. Like a dog.

Rex knew that Anakin didn't mean it like that. He was in a difficult position and under a lot of pressure, especially since Fives was a soldier under his command. Indeed, Skywalker was one of the few people who Rex had met that actually treated the clones like soldiers instead of droids.

Disposable. Emotionless. Expendable.

This was the view that most of the galaxy held when it came to clones, and thank the Force that the Jedi didn't hold the same beliefs. They always treated the clones with kindness, something the clones never forgot. It was the main reason the clones were so loyal to them.

They were willing to die for their Jedi generals, if need be.

Rex still couldn't believe Fives would turn traitor. The arc trooper had always been faithful to General Skywalker, and he had even taken a liking to Commander Tano.

Commander Tano.

Rex sucked in a breath. Could it be? It made sense. There was no way Fives could hide from them on his own, soldier or not, and Ahsoka had considered him a friend. Thoughts of treason, of Ahsoka plotting the Chamcellor's demise with Fives, flood Rex's brain. Perhaps General Skywalker was wrong. Maybe Ahsoka had been the traitor all along, and she had gotten Bariss to take the fall for her...

"Rex? Is something wrong? I can sense your anxiety," Anakin spoke up, concern evident in his bright blue eyes.

"N-no, General. Everything is fine. It's just, I'm a bit tired from searching for Fives, that's all. I haven't gotten much sleep."

"Get some sleep, captain. We'll need you alert and ready when we resume the search tomorrow."

Rex nodded, unable to speak, and unable to explain exactly why he had lied to his commanding officer. He should've told the truth, but all he could think about was the last time someone had jumped to conclusions in a situation regarding Ahsoka. Her shattered expression as she said goodbye to the troops, to the place she called home for years. That was when Rex knew that Ahsoka couldn't have done it, and if she was harboring Fives, it must be for a reason. He would investigate quietly, see if this was a lead worth pursuing. No need to alert anyone yet.

Still, it didn't change the fact that Rex shouldn't have lied to Skywalker. A good soldier would've been truthful.

 _Good soldiers follow orders._

Rex shuddered as Tup's words echoed in his brain, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Obi-wan rubbed his eyes, sighed, and turned off the datapad. The last few days had been absolute chaos.

Clones gone rogue, a murder attempt on the Chancellor, Seperatist plots... When would it end? When would the war end? The way things were going, it looked like it wouldn't end anytime soon.

A knock on the door interrupted his musings, and the Jedi Councillor opened it, expecting to see an exhausted Anakin telling him that the trail had gone cold on the rogue clone, or a Councillor telling him of another situation gone critical.

As if there weren't enough of those already.

What he was not expecting was a fifteen year old Torguta padawan whom he had assumed would never visit him again, not after that fateful day in the Council Chambers.

"Obi-wan? Can I come in? And before you ask... it's _really_ complicated."

 **Hey guys, so I've decided to continue this story for now, test it out for the first few chapters and see if people like the concept. Read and review please; feedback is crucial to improving any story, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts and ideas!**


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-wan hesitated before nodding, stepping aside and allowing Ahsoka to enter the room. After the Temple bombing fiasco,he owed it to Ahsoka to atleast hear her out.

"So, how have you been, Ahsoka? Would you like anything to drink? Tea, perhaps?"

"No thank you, Master Obi-wan. And wow, Anakin wasn't kidding when he said you were obssessed with drinking tea," Ahsoka teased, and Obi-wan cracked a smile. "A habit I inherited from my old Master, I'm afraid. What brings you here, young one?"

"Honestly, Obi-wan? In the past few days, my world has turned upside down, and I think you might be one of the few people who could help me make sense of everything." Ahsoka paused before asking, "Have you heard of the clone trooper that escaped, Fives?"

"Yes, I was just talking to Anakin-"

"I've been hiding him."

A tension-filled silence followed her treasonous statement, as Obi-wan looked at her, dumbstruck.

"Ahsoka, did... did you just tell a _Jedi Master_ that you are sheltering a _known fugitive?"_

* * *

"Obi-wan let me explain. The reason I came to you and not Anakin is because in this particular situation, Anakin is not someone I can trust. Fives thinks that there is a plot involving the Chancellor. He thinks that the Chancellor is responsible for chips inside the clones' brains, chips that he intends to use to make them kill the Jedi, when the time right. I know how much Anakin trusts the Chancellor, so I couldn't go to him with this. But I know that you don't share Anakin's fondness for the man. I know that there's a chance that you would believe me."

"Ahsoka, this... this is _ridiculous_. Why on earth would the Chancellor want to kill the Jedi? We are the ones fighting this war for him! Fives tried to kill the Chancellor, that's why he is making up these lies to confuse you and get you to protect him."

"I know, I know it sounds crazy, Obi-wan, but imagine if it were true. I mean, isn't it weird that Palpatine is still Chancellor and has been for over a decade now, even though term limits are only four years? And think about it, who has benefitted the most from this war? Palpatine! He's the one that gets to keep his power and extend his influence, using the war as an excuse. I know it's far-fetched, but you and I both know that something is not right with that man. And wouldn't you rather investigate the possible planned genocide of your comrades than turn a blind eye and regret it later?"

Obi-wan winced at the not-so-subtle jab. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka. About the trial, about everything. We should've given you the benefit of the doubt, and actually look into the matter thoroughly, instead of taking the easy way out and blaming you."

"Look, Obi-wan, that's all in the past. That's not what matters now. Will you help me?"

Obi-wan pursed his lips and looked at her, sensing her Force signature. Strangely enough, he didn't sense any deception from her. Which means, at the very least, she believed Fives was telling the truth. And some of the points she had brought up actually made sense. Obi-wan had never trusted politicians, especially not ones like Palpatine, who showered his apprentice with praises and only furthered the boy's arrogance.

Ever since the war had begun, a dark cloud had hung over the Republic in the Force. The dark side had muddled all of the Jedi's senses, even Master Yoda's. So who was to say the Sith Lord hadn't been staring them in the face the entire time? Of course, Palpatine as a Sith Lord was quite far-fetched, and Obi-wan still didn't really believe it... but there was doubt. And if there was even a shred of doubt, then it was Obi-wan's duty as a Jedi to investigate. He had learned from his past mistakes with Ahsoka.

He had turned his back on her once.

He wasn't about to make that mistake a second time.

"Alright, Ahsoka. As long as you don't intend to hurt anyone, and this is just an investigation, I'll help you."

* * *

Ahsoka barely blinked before launching into the specifics of her plan, sharing with her Grandmaster everything that Fives had shared with her. "So, basically we need access to Kamino. I know the Jedi have key cards that give them access to the facility. I need you to access it, get to the droid, and see if there is any evidence for Fives' claims."

Obi-wan nodded grimly, grabbing his cloak and his lightsaber. "I can't believe I'm actually agreeing to this, but alright. Let's go to Kamino."

Ahsoka and Obi-wan left the Temple, heading towards the hanger bay where the ship was parked. To his shock, he saw none other than Assajj Ventress, deep in conversation with the clone Obi-wan assumed was Fives. "Ventress? What are you doing here?"

"Ahsoka asked her to meet me here. Said she had a job for me. What are you doing, Kenobi?"

Obi-wan didn't have a chance to reply before Ahsoka interjected, "Ventress, the three of us are going to break into Kamino. We need a scout and a getaway driver in case things go south. You up for it?"

"I go where the credits go," Ventress shrugged before turning around entering the ship, although Ahsoka knew that credits weren't the only reason Ventress was there. Strangely enough, Obi-wan didn't question Ventress' involvement in their mission.*

Fives smiled at Ahsoka, before gaping in horror at a figure standing a few meters away. "Ahsoka! General Kenobi! Watch out!"

Ahsoka ducked, narrowly avoiding a blaster bolt to the chest, even though it was clearly set for stun. She turned around, coming face to face with a man she never thought she'd see again.

"Hello, Commander Tano. Long time, no see. Hand over Fives, and maybe we call all get out of this unscathed."

* * *

Obi-wan froze, one hand on his lightsaber. Had it been any other clone, he would've used the Force to push him aside, but this was Anakin's right hand man, and a good friend of his as well. Ahsoka stared. "Rex? How did you find us?"

"Master Skywalker is staying at the Temple as well. Imagine my surprise when I saw you walking down the halls of the Temple. I suspected you might be in kahoots with Fives, so I followed you. Guess I was right," Rex said grimly, holding up his blaster, desperation on his face.

"Ahsoka, General Kenobi, please. Just turn over Fives. He'll face justice in the Republic Courts. No one needs to know the two of you are involved in this."

"Rex, I know this sounds crazy, but Fives isn't guilty. Atleast, I don't think he is. He's being set up by the Chancellor. Please, you have to let us go. And don't you dare talk to me about _justice in the republic courts_. Where was my justice, Fives? Where was my justice when they decided to blame a sixteen year old girl and almost sentenced her to death, without bothering to look at all the facts?"

Rex sighed. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, Commander Tano, I am. Truly. But if you're not willing to surrender, than I have no other choice. I tried to give you a chance, but my duty is to the Jedi, and to the Republic. I'm sorry, Fives. You were my brother, and I hope that you'll come to your senses."

Rex took a deep breath, before activating his commlink. "General Skywalker? I found Fives."

 ***If you haven't read the novel _Dark Disciple_ , I highly suggest you do, or atleast look up a summary on Wookiepedia. It really fleshes out Ventress' character, and it explains why Obi-wan trusts her a little but more and does not question her presence, or react with hostility. SMALL SPOILER FOR THE DARK DISCIPLE = For the sake of the story, I'm going to say that the end of Dark Disciple never happened, and Vos was okay and didn't turn evil when he returned to the Temple, but he still left Ventress. Also, I'm going to say the events of Dark Disciple happened before this story.**

 **To my patient reviewers and followers: I'm sorry it took this long to update. School kind of got in the way, and it's hard to find time to write, but I promise this story is not currently being put on hiatus or discontinued. Updates may take a little longer, but thank you for all the feedback and support! Once again, I ask that you review, and feel free to make suggestions for introducing new characters, or ask any questions.**


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